Togetherness

As COVID-19 spreads across our country, people are social-distancing more and more out of commonsense caution. Because of this, many families are finding that they are spending more time together, and with that comes more opportunities for families to invest in quality time with each other. And, if you are like most people in the modern age, time is at a premium.

I once heard a story about a family that served on the mission field for a season. Everything about the experience was hard. They struggled when they caught local sicknesses. They did not adapt well to the food of the region. The climate and altitude created all manner of continual physical discomfort. All the creature comforts that America could offer became distant memories. Added to it all, the people they attempted to reach were unresponsive and regarded the family as an unfortunate irritation to work around or ignore.

At the end of their mission work there, they returned home. Years later, when the parents asked the children what memories from their lives were the best ones, every child gave the same answer: the hard times in the other country.

The parents were shocked. When they asked their children why they felt that way, the reasons given all fell in the same category: during that season, they felt like a close family. The difficulties drove them together, gave them more time to share and the children watched their parents up close during the season of discomfort and saw how they handled their struggles in a God-honoring way. Not only that, they said those memories were the sweetest and best ones because those were the times when they were serving God together as a family.

What would your children say are their best memories from their lives thus far?

Are you making the most of the time during this crisis to make meaningful memories with your family?

How will you live out that closeness and time to worship together, not only during this time, but when we can return to in-person worship services?

Pray that…

• Our families would know the value of equipping and training together as we are sent out for the work of God. – Psalm 127:3-4 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
• Our families would worship God together during the season with humility, dependence and reverence, and that the children of every family will see their parents worship God in a clearer way. – Matthew 18:4 “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” 
• Our families would remain strong, grow closer together during this time and be faithful to share how God is working among them. – Psalm 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.